We went on a walking tour of Venice, led by a real fashionista. She told us that all of the "real" gondoliers in Venice are men. Although one woman does private work for one of the hotels. But she thinks gondoliers should be manly men.  Then again, the woman gondoliera (no one is sure of the feminine form, she being the first), looks like a man, so maybe it's not that big of a deal after all.

Outside the Venice Opera House.  The same building has burned down about 8 times.  Bad luck.

Magnifico!

This photo came out like a postcard!  There is a gondola and the Rialto bridge.

In a hidden spot in the city, a wealthy family built an unusual staircase that showcased their wealth.  It's called Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo.

Pretty house. Too bad it is in the middle of a slum.

The staircase is on the exterior of the house to save room inside.

The cisterns in the courtyard were really old.  Some of them have been in use for more than 800 years.

Another postcard. Venice is a beautiful city.  Even if Bill is determined never to return.  Why never return?  He keeps having to explain that he's been to Venice three times but he's never been to Spain.  (But he's been to Oklahoma.)  And he's never been to China or Hawaii or Japan or Australia or New Zealand or Austria or Sweden or or or or ....  See?  It's possible to love Venice as he does, but have no real desire to go back.